Caprese Stuffed Baked Potatoes Food

CAPRESE STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Pour enough sea salt onto a baking sheet to be able to hold the potatoes, place the potatoes on the salt, and bake until done, about 20-25 minutes.
• Mix together the basil, tomatoes, and chopped mozzarella in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, mix thoroughly, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and cut an X into the top of each one. Squeeze the potatoes to open them up.
• Place a heaping tablespoon of the mozzarella, basil, and tomato mixture into each potato, drizzle each with a bit of the remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve hot.

CAPRESE TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the potatoes in the oven for about an hour, until the skins are firm and the center is soft
• Meanwhile, chop the cherry tomatoes and mix with the grated mozzarella, and chopped basil, set aside.
• In a small saucepan combine the balsamic vinegar and honey together.
• Bring to a boil and let it reduce until the vinegar coats the back the spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• When the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven.
• Cut them in half length-ways and scoop out the majority of the flesh with a spoon. Be very careful not to tear the skin- leave a quarter inch of flesh still in the skin to provide a firm shell.
• Lightly mash with a fork the potato portion that has been removed from the skins.
• Mix in the cream cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Now add the mozzarella and tomato mixture to the mashed potato and scoop back into the shells.
• Place on a foil-covered baking tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the filling is hot and beginning to turn golden.
• Serve on a plate, drizzle some the balsamic over the potatoes and ENJOY!

CAPRESE HASSELBACK POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Set potatoes on a cutting board. Starting from one end, cut slices that are roughly 1/4-inch thick into each potato, stopping about 1/2-inch from the bottom to keep potato slices connected. Transfer prepared potatoes to a baking sheet.
• Stir together olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush olive oil mixture onto the potatoes using a basting brush, making sure to coat the outer sides and in between the slices. Season liberally with sea salt. Set aside remaining oil mixture.
• Bake potatoes in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush once again with remaining oil. By now the potatoes will have opened a bit, allowing for more oil to slip between the slices. Sprinkle a little more sea salt onto each potato, making sure to sprinkle salt in the slices.
• Return to the oven and bake until potatoes are cooked through, 25 to 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Leave a few potato slices unstuffed on both ends of each potato, starting somewhere about 1/4 of the way through the potato. Start by slipping a tomato slice in between your first 2 slices of potato, skip 2 slices, and stuff the next slice with mozzarella cheese and a fresh basil leaf. Skip 2 more, add a tomato slice, and continue alternating tomato and mozzarella cheese/basil leaf until you reach the other end of the potato. Continue until all potatoes have been stuffed. Season each potato with sea salt and cracked pepper.
• Return potatoes to the oven and bake until mozzarella has melted, about 5 minutes.
• Drizzle with balsamic glaze, sprinkle with grated Grana Padano cheese, and garnish with fresh basil.